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Brennan talks of continuing terror threat

Thursday - 2/7/2013, 5:30pm EST

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The nominee to head the CIA is telling senators that the United States remains at war with al-Qaida and other terrorists, and that the nation is under "daily cyberattack" by foreign countries and others.

The confirmation hearing for John Brennan was interrupted repeatedly at the outset before Brennan completed his brief opening statement. Sen. Dianne Feinstein ordered the hearing stopped so the room could be cleared of spectators.

The protesters were voicing anger over CIA drone strikes that have killed three American citizens and an unknown number of foreigners overseas.

It's a topic that has been very much on the minds of members of the Senate Intelligence Committee. In the hours before the hearing began, the White House provided them with a classified paper outlining the legal rationale for striking at U.S. citizens.

In his opening statement, Brennan said al-Qaida and its allies seek to "carry out deadly strikes against our homeland and our citizens." He also said the sweeping changes taking place in the Middle East and in North Africa have "major implications" for U.S. interests, for Israel, and for the stability of the region.

279-a-17-(John Brennan, CIA director-designate, testifying before the Senate Intelligence Committee)-"action is contemplated"-CIA Director-designate John Brennan says he's committed to the drone program being run in line with the nation's values. (7 Feb 2013)

APPHOTO DCSA120: Protesters from CODEPINK, a social justice group opposed to U.S. funded wars, disrupt the start of a Senate Intelligence Committee's confirmation hearing for John Brennan, the top White House adviser on counterterrorism and nominee to lead the Central Intelligence Agency, Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) (7 Feb 2013)

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